Under the Skin (Preview)
by Follow the Fire
Summary: Full Summary within. A preview to a work in progress. Axel's new discovery may not be as friendly and wonderful as he and Roxas believe it to be. And when Sora's commute to this new world as well lands, a new nightmare is unlocked, leaving not only himself in jeopardy, but all of Organization XIII. Especially as a new horror waits to be awakened under the skin. Please R&R for more!


**Title:** Under the Skin (_temporary. Official title undecided _)

**Rating:** M- for coarse language, blood, gore, some adult themes and character death/abuse Discretion advised.

**Fandoms: **Kingdom Hearts, Silent Hill/Silent Hill Origins (WORLD ONLY! No main characters from the original silent hill series other than the Order and the monsters) All rights go to their respected owners.

**Major Pairing: **AkuRoku

**Minor Pairings: **RokuDemy, AkuDemy, Larxel, RokuVan, SoRoku, SoRiku

**Full Summary:** Roxas wanted answers. That was the gist of the whole situation. And Axel's new discovery seemed to be his light at the end of the tunnel, and within moments, they set out to this new world, with new plans in mind. But soon after their arrival, when separation and realism set in, they realize what they've gotten themselves into is not something they can easily get out of, and they find themselves deeply missing the only place they had to call 'home'. This world, this nightmare, is all too real to them-And all too deadly. What in kingdom hearts is with the messages on the walls? What are these hideous monsters? What is this about Roxas being a doppelgänger of some kind of Vassal? Where is safety?

There's no such thing.

Sora receives a long awaited message from Riku, requesting his help. He's been trapped on some faraway world that not even the chipmunks have heard of. What kind of hell will unleash once Sora sets foot in the mysterious nightmare of Silent Hill? Meanwhile, Xehanort plots darkly as the Order's new leader, and a creature with golden irises, more horrifying than the mutations of Organization XIII look-alikes, is lurking beneath the streets of Silent Hill, waiting to come out and serve His beloved God, and execute the impure world He's awakened into.

**Artist Comments:** This whole story is an experiment. :3 I just figured I should preview it since it's going kind of well on my end. Feel free to let me know what you think!

**Roxas**

A small pocket of night sky. Surrounded by inked clouds that cried steadily on my shoulders. I narrowed my eyes at the glittering worlds eyeing me from their black satin background, glowing with encouragement, ushering me on and promising the ultimate answer that seemed too far away: who is Roxas? I tore my eyes away from it, closing them and sighing, and resuming my walk down Fragment Crossing.

All around me, the gray buildings glowing purple and blue in the neon lights. As much as I longed to glance at them, a final goodbye, I kept my stare straight, and never strayed from my path. The world Exit wasn't far at all. And I had every intention of never passing through those doors again.

Slowly, memories swirled through me, aching my already broken conscience. Xion…what would become of her? I sighed and felt heavy with grief that I lost her. I had shattered our friendship by existing at all. And Axel…he'd be so disappointed. Was I ready to abandon everything we had? He was my best friend. My only best friend. Before Xion even came into the picture. I remembered the one day on the clock tower…

_"You're early," he announced as his boots hit the cement of the clock tower with a soft _clack, clack, clack…_ I scoffed and looked up at him._

_"No…you're just late." I replied coyly, and he smirked before plopping down next to me with a sigh. He looked lost in thought for a moment, then with a smile, he handed me a bar of sea-salt ice cream. We sit in silence for a while, watching the neverending sunset. Finally, I looked up, and with a deep breath, I breathed "Today makes 255."_

_Axel's eyebrow raised and he looked confused. "What's that about?"_

_I looked up at him with a smile. "It's been that many days since I first joined the Organization…man, time flies." I chuckled. "I think we can blame Luxord for that." _(**A/N:**I'm sorry…I had to. XD)

_Axel smirked at me before tapping his temple. "So, you got the number memorized, do ya?" I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder lightly._

_"Yeah. Have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie." I laughed. Axel gave me a funny look, and put a hand on my shoulder._

_"Right. That first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you still are _kind of _a zombie." He gave me a swift, playful pat on the back and I shoved him back, making him flinch as he laughed. _

_"Oh, thanks! Gee, what a guy, Axe."_

_We laughed. And every time we stopped, we started all over again. Finally, Axel sighed and leaned back on his elbows, watching the sun with half-lidded eyes. His emerald orbs glowed with warmth, like the lingering embers of a fire long since gone out. Still beautiful, nonetheless. I was kind of jealous of them._

_"Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red." he started. I cocked an eyebrow and leaned back with him. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors, and out of all those colors, _red_ is the one that travels the farthest." he recited smugly, running a hand through his unruly mane of crimson spikes. I elbowed him, rolling my eyes. _

_"Like I asked! Know-it-all…" Axel laughed at me and nudged me back, tossing his empty popsicle stick below us. We listened, and there was a very faint clatter as it hit the ground below…_

Sighing, the memory faded and I looked down, closing my eyes. Then, sniffing, I looked back up. Apparently, I stopped walking.

There was someone ahead of me…waiting. A figure I didn't need to face to recognize, leaned against the side of a building in a cool, casual way. He seemed unfazed by the pelting rain, and stayed patiently, unmoving. His features were blank and unreadable, stoic and emotionless. Like they were when we first met. He was illuminated by the neon sign above him. Not glancing his way, I continued walking and passed right by him, trying not to falter in my step. Then, he spoke.

"Your mind's made up?" his voice wasn't accusatory, aggravated, or even upset. There was no degree of any emotion. Then again, Axel was never one for feelings. None of them are. But I knew him better than anyone else, save for maybe Saïx. And underneath his cool visage, I could hear raw grief in his voice. I paused in my step and tilted my head to the side, not turning around fully, but only enough to throw my voice over my shoulder.

"Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know!" I snapped at him. No response. I turned to keep walking, when there was a sudden explosion of movement. He jerked from his neutral position and faced me, fury blistering off of him and without looking, I knew those deep jade eyes were glowing with rage.

"You can't betray the Organization!" there was a hint of crushed pride in the angry outburst, and I rolled my eyes, not listening. "You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you—!"

"No one would miss me." it was a cool, unemotional response: maybe even a little fatalistic. And I resumed walking. Good for me.

There was silence for a moment, then he shouted, "That's not true!" but I just shook my head and kept walking. He muttered something else I couldn't hear, but I didn't need to. I knew he'd miss me. But who really cared? After all…

It was all for show.

I walked out of Fragments Crossing, waited a few heartbeats, then let out a huge breath. I held out my hand for a moment to pretend to be opening a corridor of Darkness. But hesitated, when Axel didn't appear. I looked to the side with my eyes and back ahead of me. Then, opened a portal, and took one step, and—

_THWACK!_

I held my head in mock pain and fell to the ground. Looking back up, I saw Axel's chakram fly back into his hand and he glared at me. I narrowed my eyes, and tried not to smile at him. He was being almost too good. I didn't know if I could match his zeal. I stood back up and summoned my Keyblade. Then, raising my hand I lunged for him, slicing past his hand. He moved out of the way just as it past…only a fraction of a centimeter away, and his face contorted in pain as he hissed and held his wrist. He angrily twirled himself around and shanked his chakrams through the air. Every time they came a hair length away from my skin, and I pretended it hit.

When he finished whirling his entire body into the attack, he tossed the chakram like a Frisbee and I threw my head to the side as it whizzed next to my cheek. I held it and glared at him as he opened a wall of flame around us, and I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. The fire lapped the sky eagerly and I could barely see him save for his glowing eyes, wide and full of life. He looked high on the flames. He looked like he was in ecstasy as his chest heaved with effort. I remembered him telling me once how good it felt to feel the fire race through his veins and exit through every part of his skin. He told me how "orgasmic" it was to encircle himself in the flames, and even better to engulf someone else. He said the aftermath was glowing and warm and gave him pure bliss.

"Don't think this changes anything, buddy." he purred, his voice low. "Nothing personal. It's just business." he held up his hand, facing me. I watched him carefully.

"Wait…you're not…" I started, and my eyes widened as his smirk rose to a dangerous height. "B-but you can't! I haven't even left yet!" I argued, laughing nervously. He shrugged.

"Sorry, Roxy. Maybe not everyone knew you were leaving, but Superior tends to keep an ear out all the time. And, turns out boss-man wants you disposed of as soon as you stepped out of the Castle." I felt my breathing hitch and my eyes water.

"So…you're going to kill me, is that it? After everything we've been through?" I tried hitting him where it hurt, the place I convinced him still existed. He blinked, but his expression didn't falter beyond another heartless shrug and shake of his head.

"What have we been through, Roxas?" he winked and a pillar of fire emitted from his palm, aimed at me. Heat came closer and closer, and my eyes widened, and I braced for impact.

Then, the fire stopped just as it licked the corner of my cloak, and wrapped around me, looking like it engulfed me. I let out a bloodcurdling scream and stripped out of my cloak. My body was coated now in sweat, but I kept on screaming, finally, I made a choking sound and held my own neck, pressing slightly to make my breathing rasped. Then, I held out my hand to the floor, where I opened a corridor of darkness as the flame grew brighter and heavier, wrapping my entire being in a ball of moving fire. I disappeared through it, and reopened myself in a corner not far away from where I was, but out of sight.

Axel let the flame die and gave a cold smile. He scoffed and walked to the ashes of what used to be my cloak. He kicked it with a sadistic glare of excitement and turned around, heading back to the Castle at a leisurely pace. As soon as he was out of my vision, I hunched to the ground in the shadows, and opened another portal to meet with him in the designated spot, right outside of Betwixt and Between. Sighing, I fiddled with my hands and removed my gloves. I was just in the issued black tank top underneath. I didn't like the t-shirts, because they were too hot underneath that leather smock.

The whole set-up wasn't easy, I was afraid one of us would smile, or laugh, or blow it entirely. But we did it. Well, half of it. I didn't actually know if it had worked yet. But as a portal opened beside me and Axel stepped through, I felt a jump of excitement run through me. I felt a slow smile creep up on my lips in silent question.

"Oh, he was there alright. Saw the whole thing. The Organization will be shattering your Proof of Existence in three hours." and then, I laughed hysterically, and ran into his arms. He clutched me and hugged me tight, little chuckles rising from him to meet my frantic sobs. After a moment, I inhaled a deep breath and moved back to meet his gaze, gripping him like he was my lifeline.

"Axel…a _new world_?" he cut off my question with a quick, long shush and gestured a finger to his lips, looking around, and then nodded slowly, smiling again. Curiosity and wonder flared within me, and millions of questions filled my thoughts. How did he find it? Where was it? What was it like? Why is he the only one who knows about it?

"So you see, Roxas? Now you don't have to just up and leave! You can find the answers to all those questions you had. They won't ever be able to find you, and you'll be able to go on with everything…you can do this!" he had his hands on my shoulders and I was too dizzy to say anything, so I just nodded, and kept smiling wildly, laughing every once and a while. But then, I replayed everything in my head…and I thought…

"Y-y…you're coming with, right?" I questioned haltingly. Axel's smile faltered a bit. I felt my stomach sink. "But Axel…" I started.

"Here's the thing, Rox…"

He didn't need to finish. "You don't want to leave them?" I accused, eyes wide in abhorrence.

"I don't have a reason to," he quickly argued. "And I just…Roxas, don't look like that, alright?" my disappointment had quickly turned to anger and irritation.

"Look like what, Axel?" I shot back, glowering at him above my eyebrows.

"Roxas, I don't have anything against…" he stopped mid-sentence, and looked away, conflicted. I scoffed loudly.

"Their masochistic, manipulative corruption of every living soul within a seven-thousand mile radius? Come on, Axel. You can't be serious. I thought we were in this together!"

"We _are_ in this together!" he stood straighter.

"Then why are you choosing to side with _them_? I heard you just now! You think of them as separate from you!"

"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not still—"

"Still _what_? Just another machine for Xemnas' bidding? Another robot to wreak through the innocent lives of—"

"I had an innocent life once, Roxas!" he was bristling now, a flare of fire surrounding his being and I staggered back in surprise, hitting the wall. (**A/N: **Warning. This statement has more true meaning than you think. See below chapter for complete ruination of your once lovely feelings toward AkuSai and non-pity for them both.) I stared at him for a moment, then his tense shoulders slumped and he looked away. His voice and features softened intensely. "I just…this place, the whole Organization…it gives me hope, Roxas. Hope that…maybe, just maybe, there's a second chance for me out there."

I wasn't going to lie. Hearing Axel mention he feels hope was quite a big jump. We stood in silence for a long while, then, I sighed and walked over to him, putting a hand on his arm. "I can respect that, Axe…but I really don't want to do this on my own. I want to find this Sora kid, I want to find out _who I am_." I pointed at myself with each syllable of the three words.

"And I fully support you on that, Roxas. But I…"

"Please?"

Axel looked up, green eyes perplexed. He blinked twice. "What did you just say?"

I bit my lip. "Please come with me? At least stay to show me around. Then…I guess I can go on my own. But I really just…please?"

"Okay, okay, cut it with the 'p' word, already, sheesh." Axel shrugged my hand off and punched me good-naturedly. I smiled and looked at him hopefully. He sighed and rubbed his temple. "Alright, I'll explore the world for a little while, but then I'm leaving, okay? And only because I'm a little curious to find out what's there. And because you looked cute when you pouted like that." he pointed at me warningly and I smiled wider, nodding excitedly.

"Yes. Yes, yes! You can…wait, you've never been there before?" a shroud of doubt covered me and he shrugged.

"I saw it a little while ago…uh…p-passing by Twilight Town a little while ago. I, uh…I never got to get in, though." he explained sheepishly. I quirked an eyebrow…he wasn't telling me something…

"Right…so…when are we leaving?" I asked, changing the subject. He smirked and looked behind him at the castle.

"I'd say a little while after you're obituary goes out, what say you?" he asked. I smiled and we both drew up our hoods, taking off to hide.

* * *

I narrowed my eyes carefully at him as he worked, sucking silently on a cotton-candy lollipop I had bought a while back. Axel crouched on the ground in the small crevice we'd found at the very end of an alleyway past Fragments Crossing. In one hand he held a book he wouldn't let me see, the other drawing some sort of symbol on the ground with red chalk. Every once and a while, he'd stop, stand, read, gasp, and scribble really quickly on the symbol. A couple times he was muttering some sort of weird language, brows furrowed in concentration. I sat leaning against a wall across from him per instruction from him. He seemed to be engrossed in the project, almost like he forgot I existed. Finally, I rewrapped my lollipop to finish later, putting it in my pant's back pocket.

"Axe?"

Axel jumped up, a sharp breath sounding through the dark area. He whirled around and stared at me owlishly. My own eyes widened for a moment. Axel seemed…possessed. Manic. And genuinely terrified of something. Suddenly, as he blinked, it faded. "What?"

I blinked and hardened my stare, confused. What just happened? "What're you, uh…what're you doing?" I asked, craning my neck to see the symbol he seemed to be working so hard on. He seemed to be purposefully trying to block it from my vision.

"Uh…t-transport." he stuttered. I slowly cocked an eyebrow and felt my jaw drop open in question.

"Can't we just warp there with our portals?"

"N-not exactly…" he started. Before I could question him again, he whirled back around and crouched, once again scribbling at the symbol. Exasperated, and not wanting to argue with him, I sighed and sunk down the wall slightly, closing my eyes.

This was going to be it, was it? I would find that impossible answer to that impossible question. And Axel would be there to help, at least. Well…for a little while. I had to wonder why he was being so secretive, though. This place…didn't he call it…Silent Hill?

Suddenly, there was a loud siren. I opened my eyes and jumped up, confused. Where'd Axel go? He was gone. And the symbol…it was glowing. I stared at it for a moment, and gasped as it raised from the ground, and hovered before me. I looked around, and realized the World That Never Was had been engulfed in strange fog. Soon, I couldn't even see the glowing symbol, or anything farther that my hand. I stood up, groaning as I suddenly became overwhelmed with vertigo. I gripped the wall with one hand, and my head with the other, closing my eyes again. The siren…the wailing…it was getting unbearably loud. It was like an air-raid siren. Like the ones you heard during an evacuation. We had that, here?

I felt a strange crumbling sensation on my hand and wrenched it away to hold it, opening my eyes and gasping at what I saw. The wall was crumbling away. The floor, the buildings, the sky…all turning ominous shades of red, rust, and black. The ground went from cement to metal grating, below a never-ending pit of black. The fog melted away and gave me full vision of a naked world. My breath quickened and I looked up, and shrieked.

A body…mangled…and sickening was being held in the air by its neck, pleading mercy. I think it might've been a girl. She had long reddish hair and teary blue eyes and was completely naked save for a schoolgirl's plated skirt. A giant…what could only be described as monster, was holding her there. On its head was a seven-sided pyramidal prism that was a deep shade of red, and covered with what I could easily distinguish as blood. Soon, the cries of the body became silent over the unbearable siren, and I had to cover my ears, cringing and sinking down to the ground.

"Axel!" I called, but my voice was drowned out completely. All around me, the world was stripped bare and rusted, and caked in blood fresh and new, and I felt my stomach churn at the sight. Even the smell was rotted and metallic. I looked up again, tears in my eyes as the Pyramid Head gripped the body by the skin on her naked chest and twisted. Disgusted, I looked away, and could unfairly hear over the siren the ripping of flesh being torn from the bare body, and heard a shower of water…no, not water. Blood. I cried out for Axel again in vain, falling all the way onto my stomach and curling up, still holding my ears. What happened? Where was I?!

Then, a voice…whispering ominously. As if it was right in my ear. I could feel its breath despite my cover. "Stay away."

With a gasp, I looked up. Axel looked up in time with me and gave me a curious look. I breathed heavily as if I just stopped running a marathon, huffing out air, staring horrified into Axel's eyes. "You okay?" he asked. I looked around, eyes still wide and breathing still uneven. The world…it was fine. Nothing changed, and Axel was still on the ground, looking at me over his shoulder with a cocked eyebrow. He had removed his cloak and was now clad in a black tank top as well. It was a dream?

"Wh-when did I nod off?" I asked, rubbing my forehead, which was covered in a sheen of sweat.

Axel shrugged. "Dunno. But…I'm finished!" he added with a careful smile. Groaning, I rose to my feet, my muscles suddenly feeling stiff. I walked over and my eyes widened. On the ground, he drew four circles: And outer one with four symbols on the top, bottom and sides, only three of which I recognized. The second was an inner circle, which between had strange runes I didn't know. Then, in the inner circle, were three smaller circles, also surrounded by symbols and runes. I blinked and hissed in pain as a pounding began in the center of my forehead, like someone was beating on it with a rock from the inside. I held it and looked away.

"What is that?" I questioned, rubbing the sore spot as it faded. "It…i-it makes my head hurt."

Axel's brows were furrowed and he looked at me with genuine confusion. "Y-…your head hurts?" he looked at the symbol, and then at his book. He muttered the language again and scratched the back of his neck. "There's nothing here about…Oh, nevermind." Axel shut the book and discarded the chalk into his back pocket. I narrowed my eyes.

"Nothing there about what?" I questioned, but he waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, its nothing. Don't worry." he walked to the center of the circle and looked about, turning around himself. Finally he looked up. "Come here." he gestured one finger. Carefully, I followed him into the symbol. My head screeched in protest, and I hissed in pain, wincing as I took his hand. He gave me a quick sympathetic, slightly confused glance.

"Why do I feel like this is a bad idea, all the sudden?" I asked quietly. The voice said 'Stay away.' Was it referring to this place Axel was sending me? What was it called? I feel like it was on the tip of my tongue…damn, I knew it just a second ago! Just as I had that…dream. At least it felt like a dream. Was it a vision? Axel said nothing. He closed his eyes, and began to mutter that weird language, still keeping an iron grip on my hand. I bit my lip, feeling that same harsh pound on the center of my forehead. I rubbed it with my free hand, trying to subside it. And didn't notice the wind that started until it blew Axel's coat further away. He opened his eyes, and gasped, then started to grab it.

"WAIT!" there was a wail coming closer, and a rush of feet. Both of us looked up to see Demyx getting closer. Behind him, was the unmistakable antennae style of Larxene. My eyes widened and I backed up a bit in shock. Demyx got to me just as Axel stepped out of the circle, tumbling me farther back, and my shoe stepped just out of the red line.

Before I could comprehend him, all of the sudden we were engulfed in white. I screamed as a burning sensation swallowed me from my feet, crawling up slowly. It felt like my skin was melting. Blisters formed on my skin, and my boots began to burn to ashes. I tried to wrench away, to move, to do _something_, but it was useless. The fire had reached my neck, silencing my voice to a disgusting gurgle, much more realistic than the fake ones I'd recited earlier, and I felt my eyes begin to sting. So this is what it was like to die?

Then it was gone.

END PREVIEW

So. Do you guys like it? I'm currently working on part four. I will not be posting the whole story until it is completed, and this way can have weekly updates. Each chapter visits the perspectives of Axel, Roxas and/or Demyx, Sora, and a mystery character known for a while as 'V' (you'll understand when you read it. XD) Review if you want to read what happens next! And I promise, I'll try to work uber hard. I'll begin posting weekly updates I'd say...when I finish part 10 or so. Maybe 15? The total number of chapters is unknown, and it is also a collaborative work with my best friend Cyndi, aka StarKatKH on deviantart and hopefully soon here, as well.

PS, the line in the middle is because there's a POV switch to Demyx for a moment, but I figured I could cut it out, since this is only a preview. :3 sorry, peeps.

(Link to Lea's demise: art art/ Lea-s-Demise- 390914 627 ) Be warned. Once you see this. You will hate Xehanort more than you already do. And you might cry. A lot. Well, if you like Lea and Isa. If not, you're totally fine. XD Just take out the spaces. We all know how fanfiction has aneurisms over links to other websites. -.-"


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